Fidel Castro

Born Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz on August 13, 1926 and raised in the Oriente Province in Cuba. His name came from the Late Latin name Fidelis which meant "faithful". He was the third of seven children born to Angel Castro y Argiz, a Spanish immigrant, and Lina Ruz GonzÐ"ÐŽlez, a household servant who later married Angel. Fidel Castro was a rebellious boy and at the age of thirteen helped to organize a strike of sugar workers on his father's plantation. Both of his parents were illiterate but they were determined to make sure their children receive a good education and Fidel was sent to a Jesuit boarding school. Although he disliked the strict discipline of the school, Fidel soon showed that he was extremely intelligent. The Jesuits, under whom he studied from sixth to twelfth grade, preached a conservative, Counter-Reformation type critique of capitalism. As a student his best subjects were history and geography. In 1943 he became the best secondary school athlete in the country. Castro graduated from the University of Havana in 1950 with a law degree. Afterwards, Castro opened a law office in Havana.

In October of 1948 Castro was married to Mirta D. Balart, even though her wealthy family disapproved. The following year their son Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart was born. The marriage ended in 1955, first with divorce, and then with Castro having his son kidnapped and taken to Mexico. The son now heads Cuba's nuclear program.

In 1952, Castro ran for election to the Cuban House of Representatives in the democratic Cuban government which existed at the time. But before he could be elected, the forces of Fulgencio Batista overthrew the government and established a military dictatorship. One of the greatest evils in the eyes of Castro and many others was the official state racism which Batista enforced, preventing black Cubans from working in good jobs. But because Batista let gambling casinos and other capital into the country, he was supported by many in the United States. As a result of Batista's actions, Castro tried to start a revolution against the dictatorship. On July 26, 1953, Castro's forces attacked the Moncada Army Barracks in the city of Santiago de Cuba. Castro was caught and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Batista released him in 1955. Castro then formed the 26th of July Movement, a group of revolutionaries named after the date of his first revolt.

He then went into exile in Mexico. There he met an Argentine revolutionary, Che Guevara. A devoted